Why has no other European country adopted the Research Excellence Framework?

Most European countries have followed the UK's lead in developing performance-based research funding systems (PRFS) for their universities. However, what these countries have not done is adopt the same system, the Research Excellence Framework being its most recent iteration. Instead, many use indicators of institutional performance for funding decisions rather than panel evaluation and peer review. Gunnar Sivertsen has examined systems throughout Europe and finds the REF to be quite unique as a combination of performance-based institutional funding and research evaluation. While most countries do both, they do so in independent setups and with different, less expensive methodologies

iPhone – en opplevelsesplattform for de få?

Dette notatet handler om videreutvikling av eksisterende mobilteknologi, om spredningen av den og påvisbare konsekvenser på kort sikt. Kameramobiler som iPhone og den kommunikasjon de er en del av, får en rekke konsekvenser. Blant annet fører de til at fotoene ikke lenger først og fremst blir private, men de blir offentlige gjennom en kommunikasjonsteknologi som sprenger alle grenser og som medfører at de deles med andre. Mobiltelefonen og det omfanget i kommunikasjon den har foranlediget, er historisk unikt på mange vis. Den har formet og former samfunn nasjonalt og globalt

Måling av forskningsaktiviteten ved helseforetakene: Vitenskapelige artikler og doktorgrader som resultatindikatorer

I denne rapporten presenteres et utviklingsarbeid som NIFU har utført i 2001 og 2002 under ledelse av Norges forskningsråd (Medisin og helse) og etter oppdrag fra Helsedepartementet. Formålet med arbeidet har vært å finne fram til hensiktsmessige data og indikatorer for måling av forskningsaktiviteten ved helseforetakene. De to indikatorene som er valgt ligger på resultatsiden av forskningen: avlagte doktorgrader i tilfeller hvor forskningen i hovedsak er utført ved helseforetakene, samt indekserte vitenskapelige artikler hvor helseforetakene er kreditert som forfatteradresse i artiklene

‘I would say [k]ar, yeah. [kʲ]ar, yeah’. Phonological variation and change in Portadown

This thesis is a study in language variation and change in Portadown, Northern Ireland. Previous studies have shown that certain Belfast features have changed, and that these changes have spread to areas in the Lagan Valley and North Armagh. Among these areas are Portadown and its neighbouring town Lurgan. The thesis has examined three sociolinguistic variables. The first variable is the raising of the traditionally open front DRESS vowel in words like wet and eleven, where the innovative raised form is now predominantly used in Portadown. The second variable is the palatalisation of /k/ and /g/ before open front vowels, where words like car and gas are realised as [kj]ar and [gj]as. Palatalisation is also a traditional Northern Irish feature, which the study shows to be dying out, as it is absent from all younger speakers. The third and final variable is the centralisation of SQUARE words, a more recent Northern Irish feature in which the SQUARE vowel in words like there, hair, and experience is centralised and rhotacised to form a merger with the NURSE vowel. Centralisation is a growing feature in Portadown speech, especially among younger speakers. In Portadown, centralisation occured more than expected in some environments. The changes in these features are discussed in relation to established sociolinguistic theories and results from previous studies, and the study shows that these changes are interpreted and adapted differently in Portadown than in neigbouring Lurgan.Master i EngelskMAHF-ENGENG35

Mobile genetic elements causing plasticity in E. faecium

The paper 3 of this thesis is not available in Munin. Paper 3: Sivertsen, A., Pedersen, T., Janice, J., Hegstad, K.: “The Enterococcus Cassette Chromosome: an SCCmec-like mobilisable element”. (Manuscript).I helseinstitusjoner vancomycin-resistente enterokokker en fryktet bakterie som kan lage alvorlig infeksjonssykdom i pasienter med dårlig immunforsvar, og er vanskelig å behandle. Avhandlingen fokuserer på vancomycin-resistente enterokokker (VRE), og hvordan disse bakteriene gjennom å overføre gener mellom hverandre kan utvikle resistens mot antibiotika. Vi har analysert to utbrudd av VRE i Sverige og i Norge, og har funnet at VRE kan være på vei til å bli et mer vanlig patogen i skandinaviske sykehus. Dagens diagnostiske verktøy er ikke i stand til å fange opp alle typer VRE. Dette har konsekvenser for både diagnostikk, resistensovervåkning og risiko for feilbehandling av svært syke pasienter. Nye gensekvenseringsteknologier kan forbedre denne type diagnostikk ved å kunne se på genotypen i tillegg, noe som er viktig da vancomycinresistensgener kan være tilstede i bakterien uten at bakterien har fenotype for dette. I begge utbruddene var diagnostikken utilfredsstillende, da bakterien kunne bli tolket som følsom. I det ene utbruddet utviklet VRE resistens under behandling på grunn av for eksempel mobile genetiske elementer kalt IS-elementer hoppet rundt i vancomycinresistensgenene og påvirket uttrykket deres. Resultater fra doktorgraden har allerede ført til en endring i rådgiving på diagnostikk av VRE hos svært syke pasienter. Vi har også funnet at mobile genetiske elementer (MGE), DNA-et som flytter seg mellom bakterier, har en stor evne til å rekombinere seg og danne varianter med ulikt geninnhold. Inntil nå har strukturen på disse elementene vært vanskelig å rekonstruere. Dermed har betydningen av MGE’er for bakterienes resistenspotensiale vært vanskelig å vurdere. Man kan observere at disse elementene oppfører seg som Babushka-dukker ved å koble seg på hverandre. Såkalte long-read sekvenseringsmetoder er i stand til å rekonstruere strukturen på slike elementer, og det at de kun har vært kommersielt tilgjengelige de siste 3-4 år gjør at der fortsatt er mye å lære om mobile genetiske elementer og deres innvirkning på resistensutvikingen av bakterier

Zebrafish Larvae as a Model Organism to Study Biotransformation

The zebrafish larva is an increasingly used model organism in many fields of research, including drug development. Due to traits like their small size, rapid development, and high degree of genetic similarity with humans, they could likely represent a valuable model for investigating pharmacokinetic properties such as biotransformation in preclinical research. In this study, zebrafish larvae were used as a model system to investigate biotransformation of simvastatin, fluvastatin, and captopril using LC-MS/MS (ESI QQQ) for analysis. Zebrafish larvae were exposed to the drugs through aquatic exposure, and both the embryo water and the zebrafish larvae were analyzed for contents of drugs and selected metabolites. Procedures for sample preparation were established, and suitable LC-MS/MS methods were developed for the selected analytes. This study highlights that differences in developmental stages of the zebrafish larvae need to be considered when investigating biotransformation of drugs with this model system, since the maturation of several organs might affect the accumulation and elimination rates of the administered drugs. We encountered issues related to signal suppression and matrix effects when embryo water and homogenized zebrafish larvae were present in the samples. We also established that adsorption issues of hydrophobic drugs, like simvastatin, can contribute to poor signals or lack of detection when using plastic-based equipment for sample preparation. These considerations should be investigated further when using the zebrafish larva model. Despite these analytical reservations, metabolites of the administered drugs were detected in samples collected from zebrafish larvae, showing the value of zebrafish larvae as a model system in biotransformation studies. However, before the zebrafish larva can be appropriately validated as a model system to study biotransformation, further research is thus needed.Masteroppgave i FarmasiFARM399/05HMATF-FAR

Stroke rehabilitation. A mixed method study evaluating a novel physiotherapy intervention and patients’ experiences

In this thesis, the possible benefits and challenges regarding taking part in a comprehensive individualized physiotherapy intervention, called I-CoreDIST and usual care physiotherapy following an acute stroke, along with patient perceptions of participation along the rehabilitation continuum are addressed. This is a mixed method study consisting of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and an in-depth interview study. Sixty participants with acute strokes were recruited for the RCT and randomised into receiving I-CoreDIST or usual care physiotherapy for 12 weeks in equal doses. Assessments of postural control, levels of physical activity, balance gait and health related quality of life were undertaken at baseline and at 12 weeks post inclusion. Between- and within-group effects were calculated. From the full sample, 19 participants were purposely selected for interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using systematic text condensation. The findings from the quantitative and qualitative analysis were integrated through extracting the main findings and identifying common themes, divergences, and inconsistencies. In doing so we aimed to highlight aspects related to the overall aim of the study that either study could not have alone. The analysis was informed by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework and enactive theory. There were no differences between groups in term of effect of I-CoreDIST or usual care physiotherapy except for significant gains in health-related quality of life in the usual care group. The integrated findings show improvements in postural control, balance and gait that align with experiences of becoming able, indicating that partaking in 12 weeks of intensive physiotherapy was beneficial regardless of group allocation. Variations in organisational structures and cultures shape opportunities for active patient participation in post-stroke rehabilitation. Meaning and motivation is connected to experiencing bodily changes and tailored treatment. Sustained inactivity despite functional improvements is a challenge in long-term care

Identification of N-terminal and C-terminal peptides in proteomics

Background: Identifying modifications made to terminal parts of proteins are very useful in understanding diseases and other out of the ordinary biological states. This thesis has focused on developing methods for enriching N-terminal and C-terminal peptides from a complex protein mixture, so that analysis of these samples can give better, more comprehensive and more reproducible results.Materials and methods: This thesis applies a bottom-up proteomics work-flow approach to develop and compare methods for enrichment of N-terminal, using two digestion enzymes, three sample clean-up methods, and two enrichment agents in different combinations. One method for C-terminal enrichment was developed, with basis in the method that gave the best results from N-terminal enrichment.Results and discussion: None of the N-terminal enrichment methods improved the number of terminal peptides compared to the control samples. However, the results suggest that trypsin should be the enzyme of choice when enriching for N-terminal. The method for enrichment of C-terminal peptides was developed with basis in the method that gave the best results for the N-terminal enrichment. This method yielded only one terminal peptide, which is far lower than expected based on existing literature.Conclusion: While none of the methods developed in this thesis improves the number of terminal peptides, it would seem that trypsin should be chosen over chymotrypsin when enriching N-terminal peptides. This result, however, has not been validated and should be investigated further